**1. Introduction**

Goat production in the USA generally involves a variety of breed resources that are each tailored to fit different needs within goat-producing agricultural systems. Among those systems are dairy production, meat production, brush control, mohair production, a limited amount of cashmere production, and companion animals. These systems are all dominated by breeds imported into the USA since 1900, although a few breeds persist that have origins in local goats that predate these importations. In addition to the formal and controlled herds involved in goat production are a few feral goat populations that persist in various locations. Some of these feral populations are of special genetic interest due to their unique foundation and subsequent genetic isolation.
